2026 Jonesboro Open | FPO R1F9 | Saarinen, Handley, Mertsch, Laine | Jomez Disc Golf

Hello and welcome to the 2026 Play It Again Sports Jonesboro Open round one of three presented by Westside Discs. We haven't been here in a couple years. Good to be back in Arkansas. I'm Addison Walker. >> I'm Erikica Stinchcom. We're the two hot geese. Honk. They gave us sound effects. I can't believe they're letting us do this. This is probably a one time thing. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, enjoy it. >> Um, yeah, we took a year hiatus. Okay. And, uh, we are back. Hole one is the same as it was 2 years ago, but it's kind of a redesign from the other, I believe, seven years we've played out here. Um, seven, >> I think. So, this is its ninth year on tour. So, it's the same hole, but it's now a par three. They cleared out the middle. The red area you see is mandatory relief. So there's no stroke penalty, but there's OB to either side. So it's a bit strange. Never really seen a layout like this. We are not going to see a lot of twos out here. But that does incentivize you to go across on your first shot. Silvas Sarin so far this year throwing the disc really well. She looked unstoppable in round four at Champions Cup in some tight woods. Jonesboro is going to be a breeze for her. >> Yeah, this is definitely a throwers course. >> Pun intended with breeze. There was some wind out there today. >> You can see us starting out with a right to left crosswind on hole one. >> Yeah, honestly the way the hills are and how windy it was, it was at least sustained 20. So that's I believe fine. She'll just have to take it back. No penalty. Um, it's kind of hard to call the wind because it just is smashing into these hills and changing. The amount of times where I like dropped grass right to left, 3 seconds later, left to right, next second it's just a tornado of grass. So, we're just going to say there's lots of wind. Cat really >> bailing left on that one. >> And that was still safe, right? >> Yeah, she's across. Just going to be a weird hiser. Katie trying to go big here. Get putting a little too much turn, but she gets through it. >> Yeah, super definitely fortunate to get through those trees. She would have, I think, still been in the mandatory relief. Um, but if you're behind these trees, it can make this next shot pretty touchy. Oh. Uhoh. Safe. Safe. Yeah, just guaranteed bogey. cat coming pretty much straight at it, like a 90° angle, having to swing it up wide. She's one of the few women who have birdied this hole. We've seen it before. Really good shot. >> Yeah, this one averaging at a halfstroke overpar today. It's the third most difficult hole of the day. Uh really just coming out swinging. >> Yeah, we used to play this as a short par4 and all of that area was OB, so you saw a lot of layups, which you know isn't the most fun to watch. So, I like the change encouraging the aggression, but at 3.5 it is very much a tweener. I bet we see like two twos on it all weekend if the wind continues. Today, it was almost a spoiler. Today, we did not have any twos. Um, yeah, no birdies on the day, but 60% of the field parring. So great to see Haiti Line out back at it. She uh recovered from an ACL tear and has been back for a couple tournaments now. I know she played last week. I can't remember if she played before that, but super cool to see her on feature card. >> I think she also had an elbow surgery. >> Oh, did she? >> Yes. >> Yeah, she's stacking them up. >> Ran the gambit. Holland gonna start with a bogey showing us that little relief area does have some teeth and cat unable to convert the par. >> Dude, I played on a card where it was almost all four. Everyone but me threw a forehand off the tea on this one. And then there were two other holes like the island hole. We all threw forehands and I was like, "What? What's happening?" FO >> developed forehands is what's happening. >> It's awesome. 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High quality is a must. So transform your space today. Just use the link in the description or the pin comment to get an exclusive discount on your new display plates. And use code jo at checkout for the best deal. Thanks again to Displate for sponsoring this video. Now let's get back to it. Hole two, a little uphill par three. It says 270, plays closer to 310ish. Um the difficulty here is I think majority on the putting green, but if you do early release one and end up in those woods on the left side, it can be pretty brutal to try to get up and down from there. Uh this green has a tendency to be very windy. It's lumpy. There's winds going up and down both of the fairways on either side of it and across the green. Um also, we do see a fair amount of rollways. We've seen this basket elevated in some of the years prior, but thankfully this year they've put it down at a regular height. Yeah, that is nice. This is the easiest hole in the course. Got to be. Uh, everyone >> easiest. >> No way. >> No way. That's so surprising. It's the most straightforward. >> Yes. But I feel like this is one of the ones I sometimes just feel like you get a little nervous on the putting green because if you are a little bit deep or one side or the other, you miss that putt, you're going to have a bit of a comeback putt. >> It is true. 80 in the circle. Dang. What do you think the >> What was the wind doing on this one today, >> dog? I'm telling you, I don't even want to call the wind because it would do something different for your cardmate than you. And then it would go back to what it was doing for you for your next card mate. And then it would do a third thing for your fourth card mate. >> And then as you move down the fairway too, introducing more gaps. >> Yeah. >> Crazy. Cat merch. Pretty high but in the circle. She's technically our defending title holder. Kristen Le got it as an A tier last year in 25 and the Pro Tour the year before. Uh Cat Merch got it in 2023, which is pretty special cuz as you all probably know, she is from Rosebud, Arkansas about 2 hours away. Heck yeah. Silva not really giving it enough to get there. She misses low and right. Interesting miss. Um but her putt thankfully sits down. Cat as well not quite getting it up into the chains. Haiti also leaving it low. No one quite getting their round going with authority. Silva in to save the par. 45% of the field birding this hole. Averaging at point4 underpar. Holland going to get one of those birdies and the only one on our feature card. It's absolutely wild to be playing this course after Hornets Nest followed by uh >> New London. >> New London and then straight into wide openen Jonesboro. But we're very happy to be back. >> It's fieldwork time maybe. >> Hole three is a par three 324 ft. I think sidearm is the play if you have it. Uh the main thing is with the sidearm and the backhand don't come up short right. It is an elevated pin so even if you get close you can find some trouble on the putting green. You do see a lot of backhands. I'm trying to think. I feel like this one was a relatively sustained right to left wind coming through. Um yeah, forehand if you got it. The backhands is like nice and safe and you'll have an easy approach at the very least. You're not going to find the trees quite as often. Whoa. Little bit of a grip lock from Holland, but it's doing work. Is she going to find the trees deep? >> Oh my. She's 100. >> No one's ever been in there. No, she's 100 ft high in those trees. >> No one's ever been in there. >> Yeah, that was a rip. >> That's probably not true, but that is the first time I've seen it. >> Mhm. >> On a forehand anyway. >> We've seen them like trickle in, but not like that. Silva with a nice managed shot. She didn't try to get too aggressive there, which is smart >> in that line of trees on the right side. It can get a little bit difficult to get out. Yeah, it's like honestly the course is prettier and clearer than I've ever seen it. So, shout out to all the guys working out there on the grounds. It really is both stunning and a little bit more manageable. >> Awesome. >> Yeah, the Jonesboro team, there's a reason they've been on tour a million times. And this is the one thing you cannot do with your forehand. Cat is going to have a time. There are some teeny little gaps in there, but you never know. See how small they are? >> So small. So low ceiling. >> Yeah, usually it's like a little skip shot to get out of here. And >> she's definitely in some poison ivy. >> Wow. >> Good out. >> Yeah, she makes work of it. >> Worth of poison. >> Holland can't even tell you what this is. Oh, she can't even get out. Brutal. >> Oh no, she's lining up an air shot. >> Does it say what the par is on the stats you're looking at? I was looking at record rounds out here. >> Wow, what a shot from Holland. >> Straight out. >> Uh, >> no, it doesn't. >> Dang it. 55. No, wait. 56 and 55 is kind of the best in the last two years that it's been in this layout. >> Let's see. 52 is the best of all time, but I'm not sure. What a putt from Silva. Let's go slow. >> 65 is even par. >> Okay. Oh, wow. Huge. So, people are shooting double digits out here. >> Silva getting her around going with that beautiful putt to the elevated pin. >> Yeah, I I kind of thought that last week. It's going to be a birdie fest. And I think it's going to be a putter week as well because everyone's has the shots after playing such uh technical shots. Of course, wind is introduced and that's something that some players manage better than others. But I think whoever's making their putts this week is going to really extend themselves from the rest of the field, especially in the wind. I like all these hot pink putters. Yeah. Hole four relatively unchanged from years prior. A par five, a friendly one that most people in the field can reach for birdie, but it does require very specific shots. The T-OT, you have to get through a narrow gap, but that's really up high. So, if you mess up and hit one of those tree branches, it can put you a little off the course of the rest of the fairway. And even scrambling your par can be tough from there. But you get it out in the field, get your second shot up to the top of the hill, everybody's got a little technical forehand that can get them to the screen. It is sloped downhill uh from where you're throwing from towards past the basket. And you see rollaways occasionally and there's a little bit of OB as well that you can find if you get a really nasty roll away or come in hot on the green. That's a great drive from Silva. She kept it low and didn't get crazy aggressive. You do see drives land significantly farther than that, but hers was never in any danger. There's this one big tree that you see Hades disc throwing towards at first. That's kind of the guardian tree that you want to avoid um so that you can go big on your second shot, but Hades deciding to play all the way up way further on the left side of the fairway. Super smart move. >> Holland keeping it low as well. Still good distance. That's fine for uh birdie play. This played as the easiest hole of the day. >> Yeah, >> friendly par five. >> Very friendly. You'll see a few eagle looks, but it's hard to get a clean one with that last big tree in the way. I was really excited too to see the scores from this week because I feel like >> since the last time we were here, which was you said two years ago, >> um >> there's an A tier last year, but the pro tour >> FBO has gotten considerably better across the entire field. Like I think we are going to see of course barring conditions some ridiculously hot scores and a lot of them. >> Holland getting one up on the hill nicely. Should be a little forehand from there. This is also looking great. Main thing is not to get caught up early on that left corner. Haiti a little more to the left. Going to throw more of a swinging hiser. She's cut that too close. She might be out of position there. It might be like a pitch out for par situation. Look how far Cat got all the way to the tree. That's huge. Yeah, she can think about the eagle here. Oh, wow. >> She's thinking about it. She is inviting it to the scorecard. Wow. >> Here's Silva. She can see the basket trying to mitigate this downhill shot though. Can be scary. You can see her really tentative coming in very soft. She's going to have to make a putt from the edge of the circle for birdie downhill. Holland needs to swing this out and around. It's like a nice angle. Just needs to check up. And here's that hill Mad was talking about. You see so many just scoot down this thing and leave you with no putt in these little trees. Oh, wait. Heidi made it. She made it to the other side. >> Yeah, she must have got through those upper tree branches. She comes in a little hot as well. We'll see what she's working with. Yeah, you can sometimes sneak through there, right? You have to get a little lucky. >> You don't see it often. >> Yeah. >> Sila catching band on her birdie bid. >> Nice eagle. All of a sudden, she undos those two bogey strokes. She is back to even par and amped. >> Nothing like inviting the old eagle into your life. That is what they say. >> It accepted the invite. RSVPd. >> Landed on her outstretched forearm. >> Neither uh Holland or Haiti able to convert those little trees. And Cat taken two strokes on her card mates here. >> Cat was the only eagle of the day. >> Nice. >> Woohoo. There was uh 55% with a birdie though. Nice. >> Nola averaging at >> just over a halfstroke underpar. Anthony Guerilla Anthony hole five. We've seen this before. 360 ft. Uh pretty much dead straight is the way you want to go to get a safe look. If you start to put any kind of turn on a backhand, which mostly you see backhands, um you bring that short right corner into play. Though it's cleaned up, like I said, more than ever, so you can scramble through a bit better. Used to be a guaranteed bogey if you were short right. Um you don't really see four hands on this one. The shape just like isn't quite there. It's also a freaking crush. >> It's a bomb. It's a bomb. Also, the wind has a tendency to really rip up this um hallway. >> I was just going to say that branch also is like right where you want to put it as Cat showed us. >> This green is so treacherous, too. The green was particularly windy. Silva going to be a little pinched on the right side, but just enough where I think she'll be able to get out and get herself a putt for par. Maybe even a long look. Oo, Katie throwing her bear, putting a nice move on it. And boy, trees like her today. She's I mean, don't get me wrong, that is a great shot. It was moving nicely, but she does get the gentle little kiss into the circle. >> Man, such good power. It's 360, but it I swear it plays a little farther than that with the angle and the hill. Can I request a little kiss noise on our sound effects? >> Not even Holland going to try a forehand here. That says a lot. >> And she's working the left side trying to get it to turn. And that's a good play. Like I said, it's going to guarantee a par and usually gives you a look if you're feeling frisky. Man, cat kicks deep into the left side. Rough. She's gonna have a tough time to get out and get up to the putting green. Silva not a totally comfortable shot here. Finds a little gap and makes it work. Cat with a very strange scorecard to look at. >> Mhm. She's probably played this course a million times and has never had a scorecard like this. Holland. >> Yeah. Wow. What a big putt. And she misses that. She's probably outside the circle with a comebacker. >> Let's see. 49footer. That's incredible. And yeah, high risk like Erica's saying. >> So good. And a nice conversion from Haiti as well. Solid putt. >> I feel like in in just even a couple years prior, we would see most of the field lay that putt up. I absolutely I love that Holland just not only ran it, but she jump putted it. She sent that thing. >> Uh Holland and Haiti are two of four birdies on the day today. Kelly Foster and Analy Chugus Manaste got it both from circle 2. Haiti the only one getting it from circle one. Hole six, the tie for the most difficult hole of the day. Some things never change and that is this hole. It's 570 ft. So like reachable by everybody with this distance, but just so much trouble that you can get in. Um I can't decide if the T-shot or the second shot is more punishing, but >> they're both more punishing. >> They are both more punishing. Um, you want to throw a pushing hiser, but you're throwing nose up because you're kind of down in a little ditch here. You can't read the wind. So, it's easy for your disc to end up way more right or way more left than you intend for it to. After that, you have to decide how aggressive you want to get or even if you can get aggressive, Haiti not going to be able to set herself up for a second shot. Um, trying to go for the green can put you in the short right rough and that can be almost impossible to get out and get to the green. So you see a lot of pitch outs on your third. The short left where Haiti landed can also be so brutal. Holland in a pretty ideal spot. Um she has the power to get a look from there but most of the field needing to land a little bit more left to attack for the birdie. This looks nice from Silva. Oh yeah. Almost too deep. That's crazy. That was crushed. I'm curious how close Silva can get it with a backhand. Like it curves so harshly to the right that she's probably just getting like a circle deep circle two look with her best shot. >> Not only harshly to the right, but the trees are so close that you like it's not it's for a forehand. >> Yeah, you have to give it some height. >> Yeah. Cat around the corner. Still going to be a bit pinched. If she wants to get there, she probably has to throw like a crazy flex forehand. Here's Haiti with a interesting stance. forehand roller lunged out and that's going to work fine. She can still get herself a putt. It's going to be hard to get close to the basket or even inside the circle, but we'll see what she's working with. Here's Silva almost having to throw a U-shaped shot. She's getting aggressive. Very aggressive. I'm surprised she didn't leave that wider. I think she's far enough where it should be a simple par. >> Exciting to see some more forehand shots from Haiti. She's got great power. You can see that little uphill right where that disc is starting to fade. That's really well managed. There is a low hanging tree branch on the green there. That's just steals putts from players. >> We are all familiar with that thing. >> Yeah. >> Wow. Holland, what a T-OT. >> Mhm. >> And she gives it some nice width and fade. I bet that's still a circle, too. You don't see very many land in the circle on this bad boy. >> Cat looking at a low ceiling shot. The heiser flip is perfect here. >> Oh, cool. >> Oh man, that ditch always just eats it. >> Yeah, nice shot though. >> Yeah, here's Silva. You can see it's going to be a little rough to get up and down, but she fights her way through some low hanging branches. Holland dealing with that low ceiling Mad mentioned and that's fine for bar. Whoa. Cat in the ditch. Not Oh, she is cage. That was dead center. She She likes it. 80 also dealing with that >> with on the card. I want a little like puma like >> Yeah, I feel like you just have to do it. I'll just poke you when I want you to do it. >> I wish I could make that noise. Um let's see. This whole average 6 overpar. No birdies on the day. A little surprising. There's usually at least a couple, but it is a rough one. Uh, we didn't even see players finding circle one in regulation today, so the wind must have been very unhelpful. >> Sure was. >> You ever see The Legend of Zoro? That's the cat noise I'm picturing. >> Yeah. Exactly. >> Yeah. >> What if I could make that noise? >> I would never shut up. >> That is so true. I do it all the time. >> I mean, you barely do now. >> Yeah. Hole seven unchanged. It's a par4 535 ft. OB uh ditch that you got to get over. The big arms aren't going to have a any problem, but uh the middle of the field that's like right at the distance that can be a little bit difficult to cross cuz you got to give it some height. Um second shot is typically blind. It would take something incredible off the tea to be able to see this thing. You're also going up and over a hill. You have to manage your speed and angle because you're now going downhill. That tree that's now on this right of our screen is your aiming point. You know, it's about 40 feet to the right of that. Um, it can be again pretty difficult to find yourself in the circle. You see a lot of rollaways on this one. This is massive. >> It's crazy. >> It's crazy. >> That is crazy. >> Wow. And I think if the wind didn't bounce it at the end, it could have be even farther. That was incredible. >> So cool. >> And in some pretty intense wind here. So, we used to see FPO really struggle to get across this, especially Wow, that OB is way pulled off the dish. >> They keep pulling it farther and farther, don't they? >> Oh, yeah. I bet there's a lot of players that lay up here. >> Um cuz that is what 320. >> It says 305, but because you got to kind of throw it up and over the trees, it definitely plays farther. >> And the wind just really toying with everyone's disc. >> Yeah, you can see cat big thrower. Not her best shot, but still like not over by a comfortable margin. And you're not you are not saving par if you go OB and don't cross on the deep side, which is pretty much all of them. Haiti across nicely. See, that's like a normal really good shot. Hollands is almost 100 feet past that it looks like. >> And closer to the basket. It's crazy. >> So here's the blind shot to the basket. Cat's going to take this right side route that can work, but can also be disastrous. >> This is one where you would pay to like have have the replay and be like, "How did my disc get there when I threw it here?" This looks nice from Haiti. >> That's so good. >> Wow. Perfect speed control and still like a mean little roll. She really You'd like that to be closer. just totally blind throwing at basically the space and just trying to barely crrest the top of the hill. I like the slower disc play here, but Oh wow. >> And but like see that's like a I think that's a putter. >> Yeah. >> Wow. >> Bummer. Colin can almost see the dang thing. That's crazy. She puts some turn. I like the nose up so she comes in a bit softer. >> Super smart. Here's Silva with that comeback putt uphill. Rollaways are all over the place on the screen. You hit the basket, you can go so far. >> Some of the biggest rollways in the sport. Haiti saying no thank you. >> Cat from maybe 25 the birdie nicely. >> Bounce back back to even par. There were only seven birdies on this hole today. The wind making it tough. Holland's going to get one of them. She played that hole like a dream. And feature card playing this one. Really solid. Got a couple one downs now. Looks like two down is leading the way. No one quite popping off yet. Hole eight. Another one where you tee off kind of down in a little ditch almost where and it forces a nose up angle throughout the entire flight. Says 255. It is uphill and that adds I would say about 40 ft to it. I think we're close to 300 here. You can see some overstable mids still, but most players reaching for something a little faster, hoping to land a little right side of this basket that's blind from the tea and maybe getting a little bit of ground play into this green. So often the perfect shot rolls down into the tree line on the right side. Let's see if Henna can get her disc to land on the green. Yes, she can. >> Yep, there she is. She's at that two down number. We saw her get second place by a stroke to Silva last weekend. Playing really well at New London and throwing the disc incredibly as she does. Moves to three. Not quite enough room to shape a hiser here. You have to throw something that's more of a hiser flip that kind of pushes straight. Holland though is going to overpower a slower speed disc and force the hiser all the way. Love to see it. Works out great. Yeah, she definitely hugged that left side tighter than you typically see. And it's a smart gameplay with that little bit slower speed. Cat trying to do the same thing, but leaves it too tight. >> I like their idea of not inviting that roll away. You could see Hennis disc as soon as it landed, it did a little counter skip and I swear they just pick up on edge and >> seek the forest. Oh, what a shot from Silva. >> Yeah. Parks it. >> I wish there could be like a little rave screen now, too. >> Oh, yeah. >> We Yeah, we could also Could we control the lights and possibly a fog machine? I would also like some access to graphics. >> The new Gomez. Yeah. Insert kid raving gift. Oh, Haiti with a great shot as well. Puts it to about 20 feet. Cat with a little work left to do here. Perfect. Well managed. >> It's easy to go deep on this green. And on the deep side, there's just enough lowhanging branches that you can be robbed of a putt. Holland looking downhill at it. No fear. >> Never. just low. She knew it out her of her hand. >> And at least she draws metal there. >> Yeah. Oh, 80 misfire on that one. Pretty much same distance for her par comebacker and she cans it. >> This one played as the second easiest hole of the day. Half the field birdieing. It's like Taylor Chosk is leading the way at three down. She was at on my card and >> shredding. >> Just playing like a dream. >> I feel like she wasn't even shredding. She was leaving a lot out there. >> Really? >> Yeah. >> Like it was so like it was so good and she was leaving some out there. >> Really? Yeah. >> That's this type of course. You always feel like you leave some behind when everyone's birdable. >> Hole nine I believe is the same as two years ago. Uh there's hazard on the left. We are a bit shorter than the MOT pad. I can't remember. I think we might have used a TE from there. Regardless, it's like a 30ft difference. You see a lot of forehands, but with this left to right sloping hillside, those forehands just skip right into the forest. Just flare skip over there. But it is the safer play. I think the backhand can park it a little bit easier kind of fighting the hillside, but you're inviting that hazard in a little bit more. Love the slow speed disc. >> Silva really headed straight towards that hazard though. Holland going to show us the forehand. And that's got a lot of hiser on it. You see most of these end up like circles edge. Yeah. Just like this. And you usually have kind of an obstructed putt. But I mean, you would take that every time. >> Yeah. What a friendly little tree there. >> Mhm. You never quite know what you're going to get, but it's not usually too bad with that flare skip. This backhand, I think, is so difficult. >> It's close to working. Doesn't It had a little bit too much turn on it and a little bit of a late release, but it is out of the woods. >> Yeah, I think Cat just making sure she's not going to find that hazard. >> Mhm. Uh-oh. >> Ooh, Haiti really early on the forehand. She's going to make some decent forward progress considering >> All right, hit Viper's down. She's serious. >> She's been recovering well all day. Not throwing the disc quite as well as she would hope, but perfect approach shots every time. Making all her comeback putts. Cat with a nice little hiser flip forehand approach shot as well. Perfect landing speed. So that hazard meaning Silva has to putt from in that roped off yellow area with a stroke penalty and she'll have to take the for her first bogey of the round. Holland for birdie. Wow. >> Oh, her putt deadly. Uh-oh. She's on one. >> Mhm. Looking relaxed. Holland, one of only 11 birdies today. Silva, unfortunately, going to take her first bogey of the round. >> And not quite as many birdie strokes on our feature card as we expect to see at Jonesboro. But it is very windy out there today. It is Taylor Chosk leading the way. Five down. Henna Bloomros and Oh, who's that? >> MJ Ker. >> Oh, I have not met her in person. >> Yeah. >> New to the tour this year. Young and shredding. >> Yeah. Four down. So good out here. >> She played great. I think she cashed at the last couple events as well or was right on the cash line. It's awesome. >> Shout out her name a couple of times. So, a name to watch. Um looks like kind of the top maybe 15 or so are under par currently. Um lead or feature card, Battling the Wind. Solid finding some birdies. Hopefully there's a few more on the back, but we know there's more wind. That's for sure. >> Yeah, and this is a a day you want to stack them up because I think there's some rain in the forecast tomorrow. So, come hang out with us on the back night as uh hopefully we watch our feature card desperately string together birdies. I'm messing up. >> So fun. I'm Erica Stincom. We're the two geeks. cra well well I want Oh,